Boycott Urges England To ‘Use Their Brains’ Ahead Of Crucial Ashes Test In Brisbane

Former England opener Geoffrey Boycott has delivered a blunt message to Ben Stokes’s team ahead of the second Ashes Test at the Gabba, urging the tourists to “use their brains” if they hope to level the series after a humiliating eight-wicket defeat inside two days in Perth. Writing in his Daily Telegraph column on December 1, 2025, the 85-year-old Yorkshire legend criticised England’s reckless batting collapses—losing five wickets for 12 runs in the first innings and four for 11 in the second—and warned that continued encouragement of all-out attack risks pressing the “self-destruct button” against a ruthless Australian side already 1-0 up. With the five-match series resuming on Friday under lights with the day-night Test, Boycott insisted a more measured, situation-aware approach is essential if England is to exploit Brisbane’s traditionally bouncy pitch and reclaim momentum.

Boycott praised Stokes’s aggressive captaincy philosophy that has brought England success in recent years but argued it must be tempered with common sense against Australia’s world-class pace attack led by Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood. “Encouraging our batsmen to attack is fine when you’re on top, but it doesn’t help our chances if one finger is hovering over self-destruct,” he wrote, pointing to reckless shots that gifted wickets in Perth. The Gabba has historically favoured disciplined batting in the first session of day-night tests, where the pink ball can seam extravagantly under lights; England’s top order, including Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, and Ollie Pope, will need to survive the new ball rather than counter-punch from the outset if they are to avoid another collapse and set a competitive first-innings total.

The stakes are high for Stokes’s side, who arrived in Australia brimming with confidence after a strong home summer but now face the prospect of going 2-0 down with three tests to play. Boycott remains optimistic that England possesses the talent to fight back—citing the bowling firepower of Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, and Brydon Carse—but stressed that batting application will decide the outcome in Brisbane. Australia, meanwhile, are buoyant after their Perth demolition and are expected to retain the same XI, while England are sweating on the fitness of spinner Jack Leach and may consider reinforcing their pace resources for the expected bounce at the Gabba.

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As the teams finalise preparations, Boycott’s intervention has reignited debate over the limits of Bazball against the ultimate Ashes challenge. With forecasts predicting warm conditions and a lively pitch, the second Test starting December 5 promises a fierce examination of whether England can blend their trademark aggression with the tactical restraint their decorated former opener believes is now non-negotiable to keep the urn within reach.

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